the ELLA echo

i don't want an obedient child

you heard me right. 

i don't want a child who will do what she's told.

i don't want a child who does not question authority.

i don't want a child who follows the rules.

no.  i want a child who examines data, takes chances, challenges assumptions. 

i want a child who, when told that things are a certain way, asks "why", and then sets out to find the answer.

i want a child who, when the stranger, or the boyfriend, or the gang leader, or the preacher, or the politician, says, "follow me", asks "where are you going? what are you going to do there?  why should i go too?". 

i want a child who, when confronted with disorder, ambiguity, obscurity, absurdity, or confusion, will stand upright and ask, "how can we fix this/make it better/make it right?"

obedient children don't do that.

but children who are allowed to nag society for the truth--to get in the face of authority, power, privilege, ambivalence, the status quo, and demand solutions--those children change the world.

being in two places at the same time

see that new button in the sidebar?  the one that looks like this:

nashville parent magazine invited me to blog for them and i happily accepted! once a week (more or less), i'll be posting exclusive content in their parent blog section that will compliment what i post here on my own blog. 

it would thrill me if you'd hop over to nashville parent from time to time and leave a comment or share my posts.  i'll let you know each week when i've posted over there so you won't have to guess.  this week's post is already up, it's about some things you can do on snow days when the kids are out of school and you have run out of craft projects.  :)

sneak peak for next week:   why my advice is of no use to other parents. 

 

*i always on the lookout for suggestions for new posts, for this blog or for nashville parent!  what would you like to read more about?

claims vs. facts

we saw an ad on TV for a device called neat desk which says it will scan any paper and automatically detect what type of document it is, then sort and file it for you.  while watching it, i wondered out loud whether or not it really worked--mostly just making small talk while doing a jigsaw puzzle--and ella jumped up to get a piece of paper and a pen.

"mama, we need to separate the truths from the lies."

she then drew a grid with two columns.  at the top of the left column she wrote, "CLAIMS", and at the top of the right column she wrote, "FACTS".

she asked to go thru the website to see what they claimed, then she offered her interpretation of the facts, as follows:

 

CLAIM:  organize your paper.

FACT:  "that's not something you need a machine for."

 

CLAIM:  simplify your life.

FACT:  "what does it mean?  will your house be cleaner?  will it be easier to keep up with your stuff?  we need more information."

 

CLAIM:  30-day, risk-free trial

FACT:   "you have to pay them to send it to you, and they don't tell you how much until you order it.  but you can send it back for free if you decide it isn't right for you.  ok, that does sound like a fair deal."

 

the moral of the story is this:  they do hear you.  they do listen.  and they do take it to heart.  but you might not know it for a while.  be patient.  i guarantee they’ll show you in due time.

 

resolving

do you make resolutions at the beginning of each new year? 

for a while i quit making resolutions, because i discovered that making them was just a sure way to set myself up for disappointment and failure.

but this year i found a post at simple homeschool about choosing one word to guide your year.  and suddenly the skies opened up and the angels sang and i found something that i just knew would work for me.

in a flash, i knew exactly which words would be right for me this year:

PRESENCE

GOODWILL

SERVICE

that's it, that's all i need to meet the goals i have in mind for 2011.  however, unlike the author of the simple homeschool post, these are my words, which i will apply only to my own life and my own actions.  i don't intend for these to be the words that represent my family, because let's face it, the only person i have any real control over is myself, and only partly at that.

my intention/resolution is simple:  in every situation, in every interaction with others, i will start at the top of my word list and do what it tells me.  be PRESENT, offer my GOODWILL, and find a way to SERVE that person's needs.

ella made a resolution too:  to do a puzzle with me every day.  :)

 

*how do you approach the new year?